COLDWATER - Coldwater Police Department will receive two 2006 Chevy Impala vehicles at no cost other than having to pay for delivery from Texas.

"We joined the Ohio Law Enforcement Support Office program that allows us to get used military property for law enforcement use. These vehicles (Chevy Impalas) are the police package cars from the military police," police chief Randy Waltmire told village council members during a meeting Monday. "I don't know too much about them, other than all we have to pay for is to have them delivered."

Waltmire said he has attempted several times in the past to get items through the Law Enforcement Support Office but had not been successful until now.

"There are law enforcement agencies from all over the United States trying to get these items," he said. "You have to show justification for it, and then, you have to be lucky enough to get it."

Waltmire expects the vehicles to arrive Saturday.

"Our 2007 vehicle has 118,000 miles on it, and it's not supposed to be replaced until 2013. It's not going to make it," he said. "We need extra vehicles, and Eric Thomas (village manager-engineer) could use one of them also."

The village has three patrol cars on a six-year cycle replacement program. One of the vehicles is replaced every two years.

Council members took another step toward changing the village's manual water meters to automatic systems by agreeing to advertise for bids.

Improving the 1,800 meters in the village will cost an estimated $550,000 and take take approximately three to fours years, Thomas said. After the bid is accepted, it will be nearly six months before installation begins.

"We did our research and looked at several meter systems before deciding to go with the AMR (automatic meter reading). They will be lead free and first class," Thomas said.

Safety committee chairman Don Ahrens said the committee heard a proposal from Damien Donovan of McAfee's Communications about bringing the village's radio system into compliance with the new frequency regulations passed by the FCC. The village must be narrowband compliant by Jan. 1, 2013.

The measure is expected to cost the village $7,500. A portion of the expense includes application for a new FCC narrowband license, Ahrens said.